A conventional boiler uses the combustion of a fuel, such as wood, coal, oil or natural gas, to generate a flame that burns within the boiler's firebox. Generally, the fuel burning mechanism sits outside the firebox and the flame is directed into the firebox. The flame is usually a yellow or orange flame and the combustion process produces particles of incandescent carbon in the exhaust gas stream. These particles can create carbon deposits on the boiler tubes and flues providing an undesirable insulating layer that can greatly reduce boiler efficiency. The boiler is but one example of burner applications where particles in the exhaust gas due to inefficient fuel burning yield undesirable effects.